Dr. Teresa Petty Kristek, Highlighted By Influential Women, Elevates Nursing Through True Leadership And Development
Sterling, Virginia – Dr. Teresa Petty Kristek, DNP, MSN, RN, FNE, TCRN, is an accomplished emergency nursing leader whose 27-year career reflects progressive clinical, educational, and executive experience. Since beginning her nursing career in 1999 as a newly graduated registered nurse in the emergency department, she has remained dedicated to emergency nursing practice while expanding her impact through nursing education, professional development, leadership, mentorship, and healthcare workforce advancement.
Teresa developed a strong professional foundation in trauma care, critical decision-making, and high-acuity patient management during her early years in emergency nursing. Over nearly three decades, she has continued to grow within the profession, taking on increasingly influential responsibilities while maintaining a deep commitment to preparing nurses to provide safe, effective, and compassionate care.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Teresa made a deliberate commitment to strengthen her academic preparation and leadership capacity by returning to graduate education. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, graduating with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Her academic achievement supported her transition into senior healthcare education leadership, where she served as Director of Education for HCA Healthcare.
In that role, Teresa led nursing education strategy, supported clinical competency development, and strengthened professional development programs designed to enhance staff performance, retention, and patient outcomes across healthcare systems. Her work reflected her belief that strong education and preparation are essential components of both individual professional success and effective healthcare delivery.
Teresa continued her academic and professional development by completing her Doctor of Nursing Practice in Educational Leadership in April. Her doctoral preparation further reflects her commitment to evidence-based practice, systems improvement, educational leadership, and academic excellence.
Today, Teresa serves as a Subject Matter Expert for Ascend Learning, where she oversees emergency nursing competencies and contributes to the development and refinement of national-level nursing education standards. She also holds active leadership roles within the Emergency Nurses Association, including service on its Board of Directors, where she contributes to initiatives focused on emergency management, preparedness, and nursing advocacy at the state and national levels.
Her professional credentials include Trauma Certified Registered Nurse (TCRN®), American Heart Association CPR Instructor, Biomedical Research, Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course Director, Basic Life Support Instructor, CPI Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Instructor, Emergency Medication Technician, Vehicle Extrication Certification, and Breast Self-Examination Certification. She is also a member of the Emergency Nurses Association, Virginia Emergency Nurses Association, Sigma Theta Tau, Association of Nursing Professional Development, and Toastmasters International.
Teresa’s dedication to education and community preparedness ultimately led her to create Whole Flock Health, LLC, where she serves as CEO and Primary Nurse Educator. Through the organization, she provides emergency response education to community groups and churches through CPR certification, safety team training, medical management plan creation and implementation, and de-escalation education. Her work with Whole Flock Health reflects her broader goal of extending nursing knowledge beyond traditional healthcare settings and helping communities become better prepared to respond to emergencies.
Mentorship has played an important role throughout Teresa’s journey. She attributes much of her success to the guidance and support of exceptional mentors, particularly Teri Ullsperger, RN, and Dr. Pamela Hicks Van-Haren. Their encouragement, insight, and belief in her potential helped her navigate professional challenges and significant personal hardship, including the loss of her father while she was completing her doctorate. Their mentorship strengthened her resilience and reinforced her commitment to perseverance, purpose, integrity, nursing education, and leadership.
Teresa also places considerable importance on mentorship for the nurses entering the profession today. Her advice to young women considering nursing is to approach the profession honestly, recognizing both its challenges and rewards. Nursing can be demanding and emotionally intense, requiring resilience, critical thinking, and compassion in situations involving people at their most vulnerable. While there may be times when the work feels overwhelming or efforts go unrecognized, Teresa emphasizes that those who feel called to nursing can find an incredibly meaningful career with opportunities to make a lasting difference in patients’ lives.
She encourages young women to remain grounded in their purpose, commit themselves to continuous learning, and surround themselves with strong mentors and supportive colleagues. For Teresa, professional development is not simply about advancing individually; it is also about creating an environment where others can learn, grow, and succeed.
One of the most significant challenges Teresa identifies in emergency nursing today is the need to strengthen preceptor education and provide stronger support systems for new nurses entering the profession. Preceptors play a critical role in connecting academic preparation with real-world clinical practice, yet many are placed into these responsibilities without consistent training, standardized preparation, or adequate incentives.
Teresa believes this creates an important opportunity for healthcare organizations to invest in structured preceptor development programs, competency-based training, and meaningful recognition and incentive models. By providing preceptors with the tools, preparation, and support they need, healthcare organizations can create stronger onboarding experiences while helping new nurses develop confidence and clinical competency.
The importance Teresa places on preceptorship is closely connected to the values that guide her professional and personal life: integrity, excellence, and a deep commitment to developing others. She believes supportive learning environments are essential to preparing nurses effectively and empowering them to succeed. She is particularly passionate about ensuring that preceptors are not only clinically competent but also properly equipped and supported to guide nurses during their transition into practice.
These principles will also be reflected in Teresa’s upcoming national presentation at the Society of Urological Nurses Association in Las Vegas, titled “The Golden Preceptors.” The presentation highlights the importance of strengthening preceptor roles and aligning leadership support with frontline training needs to improve outcomes for both nurses and patients.
Across her clinical practice, educational leadership, professional service, and community work, Teresa continues to focus on the development of people and systems. From emergency departments and healthcare education programs to professional organizations and community groups, her work demonstrates the value she places on preparation, mentorship, resilience, and lifelong learning.
With extensive experience spanning emergency nursing, education, leadership, professional development, and community emergency response, Teresa remains committed to helping nurses and communities become better prepared for the challenges they may face. Through Whole Flock Health, her professional leadership, and her continued contributions to nursing education, she continues to apply the knowledge and experience gained throughout her career to the development of others and the strengthening of emergency nursing.
Learn More about Dr. Teresa Petty Kristek:
Through her Influential Women profile, https://influentialwomen.com/connect/teresa-kristek or through her website, https://wholeflockhealth.com/
Influential Women
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Influential Women
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